DENVER | Arenado homers, drives in 5 as Rockies beat Mets, 6-4

DENVER (AP) — Nolan Arenado homered for the third straight game and drove in five runs to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 6-4 win over the New York Mets on Thursday.

Arenado also doubled to back another strong outing from Kyle Freeland (7-6). Freeland has pitched at least six innings in 10 of his last 11 starts and has emerged as the team’s most reliable starter.

Arenado had just two home runs in his first 15 games of June, but has four in his last seven. He put the Rockies ahead 3-1 with a three-run homer in the first off Steven Matz (3-5), his 16th of the season.
He delivered a two-run double in the second to drive in five for the second time this season. He also had five RBIs at the Chicago Cubs on May 2.

Todd Frazier gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the first with his eighth homer.

The Mets got within two runs when Frazier and Michael Conforto led off the eighth with singles. Yency Almonte, making his major league debut, relieved Chris Rusin and allowed one inherited runner to score that made it 5-3 before getting an inning-ending double play.

It was the fifth double-play grounder by New York on the afternoon.
Gerardo Parra’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning restored the three-run lead. New York got one back when Kevin Plawecki tripled in the ninth and came home on a groundout. Dominic Smith doubled with two outs, but Jake McGee struck out Brandon Nimmo to get his first save of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: INF Asdrubal Cabrera was out of the lineup, but manager Mickey Callaway said he was fine a day after hitting his left elbow making a tag. … Callaway said OF Yoenis Cespedes (right hip flexor) did some stretching and the hope is he progresses in the next few days.

ROSTER MOVE

Before the game, the Rockies recalled Almonte from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned INF Ryan McMahon to their top farm team.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Zack Wheeler (2-5, 4.82) will open a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Wheeler has gone six or more innings in nine of his 13 starts.

Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (6-7, 5.89) takes the mound in the opener of a weekend series against Miami. Gray has allowed 12 earned runs in three June starts and holds a 6.75 ERA for the month.